June 9, 2025

The "Monument Challenge" has two completions so far - study the front stone and talk to Ken Begg for more information.  I've never heard a single person in my 30+ years of church-life who bemoaned that they spent too much time memorizing Scripture or studying God's Word.  Yet how often I hear of those who know they should spend more time doing so.

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Is anyone else wondering about January 6th, 2020 these days? The US Capitol Attack?  How we heard for four years that the attacks on the capitol and harm against the police in DC were considered domestic terrorism and a travesty. I'll admit, it is rarely good for a protest to turn riotous.  Yet, I am not surprised that we hear a different tale considering these riots harming police in Los Angeles.   I notice many non-US flags being waved.  I suspect that the rhetoric this time is going to be quite different.  

It can be so difficult to determine what side of history is the "right" side.   Pick a side - just make sure you choose the correct one.   Oh, however do we do so?  

Joshua asked the commander of the Lord's army, "are you for us, or for our adversaries?" (Joshua chapter 4) and was told, "No."   God is on God's side.  And we best make sure we are on His side.  It would be a few decades later that Joshua reminded the people of this when He said, "choose this day whom you will serve" (Josh. 24:15).   Perhaps this was a reference to that day decades earlier when Joshua stood before the Commander with His sword drawn?    Joshua chose.  

Must we choose every day or just choose "this" day?   Must we get to a January 6th, 2020 or a June 6th, 2025 and decide each time who we will serve or can we choose today, once for all, whom we will serve?   Perhaps the day we choose to serve the Lord, once for all, is a holy day...  a day to remove your sandals because you are standing on holy ground (note: Josh. 4:15).  Joshua never wavered in serving the Lord -may this be true for you and I.   Choose this day and then follow Him.  

We have considered the first two steps of discipleship. After investigating a rabbi and deciding to follow him, disciples would next immerse themselves into a deep relationship with him.  They went alongside of him, obeying and becoming like him.  This is our walk with Jesus.  In addition to this, disciples do one more thing.

They live as one on a mission.  In a very real sense, Christ was the greatest missionary.  A missionary is one sent on a mission.  He left His home, position, safety, and all that was His to carry out an assignment.   He was sent to make disciples.  To follow Jesus means we must also follow this example.  Although not every one of us will be called to completely abandon our lives and go live among foreign peoples, as disciples, we are called to completely abandon our lives and live among foreign peoples.  .  .  as an ambassador for Christ, the moment we are saved, we become a foreigner amongst what was once our people.  We are to be as workers sent out into the harvest – confessing Jesus as Lord (Rom. 10:8-17), defending the hope of Christ (1 Pet. 3:15), answering people with the mystery of Christ (Col. 4:2-6), gently correcting those who oppose godliness (2 Tim. 2:22-26), persuading them to fear the Lord (2 Cor. 5:6-11) and contending for the faith (Jude 3). Live as one on a mission for God!